Time-lock.



0. F. MIETH.

TIME LOOK.

AP PLIOATION FILED APR. 27, 1912. 1,105,286. Patented July 28,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PEYERS l1) PHOTD-IJTHILZ. WASHINGTON, D. C.

O. F. MI ETH.

TIME LOOK.

APPLIUATION FILED 93.27, 1912.

1,105,286. Patented July 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IE NORRIS PETERS a1. Pucm-urna, WASHINGTON, D. c.

mar sra'rns rann'r FICE.

OTTO F. MIETH, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNGR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN MENTS, T0 rim OHIO TIMELOCK COMPANY, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, a ooisroaarion OF OHIO.

TIME-LOCK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OTTO F. MIETI-I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to time locks designed to mechanically release the bolts of a safe at a predetermined time, and the object of the invention is to arrange the time lock to lock automatically as well as to unlock the safe bolts.

The invention is particularly designed for use in connection with safes in which no provision is made for actuating the bolts by the usual combination lock, and no arrangement is provided for throwing the bolts from outside the safe. In such constructions, the entire bolt actuating mechanism both for locking and unlocking is located inside the safe door, and no hole or other opening is required to be drilled through the safe door for any bolt actuating device.

The invention consists of that certain novel construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed, in which mechanism for con trolling the locking and unlocking of the bolts is adapted and arranged for mounting inside the casing for the time lock mechanism, and the controlling devices are pivotally mounted in the time lock casing, arranged to be actuated by springs when duly released, both for locking and unlocking the bolts, in which the construction is so arranged that the springs for actuating the bolts in opposite directions shall act entirely independent of each other, and the resistance to be overcome by one spring shall not be increased or affected by the action of any opposing spring. Provision is also made to disconnect the devices for releasing the bolt actuating mechanism from the devices under control of the time lock mechanism, so that the parts shall be securely held in engagement until the exact time for the release under control of the clock movement. In this way, all liability of releasing the mechanism by jarring or hammering on the safe is avoided.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914:.

Serial No. 693,615.

ing similar to Fig. 2, showing the locking plate in unlocked position, with the locking bar in locked position. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the unlocking mechanism of the time .lock. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the inside of the safe door, showing the bolt throwing construction. Fig. 7 is a similar View, with the time lock casing in position. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the watch mechanisms of the time look. I

The time lock casing is preferably a metal box formed with a back wall 1, side walls 2, and a top cover 3 hinged at 4, 4, at the upper edge of the side wall, and in this casing the operating parts are mounted.

Mounted in the casing are a series of movement blocks or time lock receptacles 5, 5, each of which holds the watch movement and its operating mechanism for actuating the releasing bar, the projecting end of which is indicated at 6 in Fig. 8. These watch movements and their actuating mechanisms are usually provided in a series, each movement complete in itself, so that in the event that one or more of the movements should be stopped, the. remaining movements shall complete the operation. In the present instance, I have shown the time lock casing with provision for only two of such watch movements. The blocks 5, in which the movements are mounted, are in turn mounted in a frame 7 which is securely mounted in the casing by means of screws 8, 8, at the corners, and these screws are usually providedwith coiled springs (notshown),but so attached that the frame 7 will be held in floating position, to avoid as much as-possible damage from jars. I have not illustrated the watch movements and controlling mechanism in detail, as this construction forms no part of my present invention, and any of the well known movements may be employed. The projecting end 6 of the releasing bar of each of these mechanisms is arranged to engage, when the bar is released by the watch movement, the upper end of its respective lestruction being for these levers 9 to project through suitable slots 12 in the cover flange 13 of the plate 11. As I have only illustrated 1 a space for two time movements in the casing, I provide only two of these levers '9, 9,

but it will be understood that as many levers are provided as there are time movements. These levers 9 are connected together by a connecting bar 14, which is pivotally connected with the levers by studs or pins 15, so that the actuation ofany one of the levers will reciprocate the connecting bar 14. The connecting bar 14 is coupled to one end of a rocking lever 16, pivoted by the screw 17 to the plate 11 by means of the pin 18 on the rock lever which projects through a slot in the connecting bar. The lower end of this rock lever is engaged by the head 19 of a catch 20 which is pivoted on the pin 61 on the plate 11.

The levers 9 are normally held to the right as shown in Fig. 5, by a spring actu ated plunger 21 seated on the casing, and in this position the rock lever 16 is engaged by the catch and said catch held with its head 19 in engagement with the locking plate 22. This locking plate 22 is pivotally mounted on a stud 23 on the inside of the bottom 1 of the casing. Pivotally mounted also on the stud 2.3 between the plate 22 and the bottom of the casing is the locking bar 24, which projects out through a slot 25 in the side wall of the casing. The rear face of the locking plate 22 is provided with a lug 26, and the locking bar 24 is normally held inengagement with this lug 26 by a spring 27 which is mounted on a stud 28 on the rear of the plate 22. Normally, therefore, the locking bar 24 and the locking plate 22 act together, but the locking plate 22 can be rocked independently of the looking bar, when the locking bar is held in fixed position.

In the position of the locking plate and bar shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the catch 20 has been released, and the heel of the catch rests on top of the locking plate. To engage the looking plate behind the catch, the plate is shifted to the right as shown in Fig- 4, by means of an a m 29 mou d o the lower end of a spindle 30, which has a squared upper end 31 in order to be engaged by a suitable key, By throwing this arm 29 to the right, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the locking plate 22 is shifted to the right against the pressure of the, Spring 32. When thus thrown to the right, the heel of the catch 20 drops down in front of the sh0ulder on the lower end of the locking plate 22 and the rocking lever 16 engages the head 19 of h atc thus l king theplate 22 in t e position shown in Fig. 4. As illustrated in the drawings, I have provided a somewhat powerful spring tension upon the locking plate by securing the coils of the spring 32 on studs 33, 33, mounted on the back of the casing, and one end of this spring engages the heel 34 on the locking plate, and the other end is seated in a suitable socket on the lockin plate at the base of the heel 34. Of course any other method of applying a sufliciently powerful spring tension upon the locking plate couldbe provided.

Inasmuch as the spring 27 which bears upon the locking bar 24 is mounted entirely on the locking plate 22, and the spring 32 bears between the casing and the locking plate, the tension of these springs is entirely independent of each other.

In order to hold the locking bar 24 in fixed position until the safe bolts are thrown to lock the safe, the projecting end of the locking bar 24 is made to engage between the projecting lugs 35, 35, on the double bell crank lever 36, which is pivotally mounted midway of the horizontal arms 37, 38, of the bell crank lever on the stud 39, projecting from the inner face of the safe door 40. The locking bolts 41, 41, for the safe door are coupled by the angle arms 42, 42, to the respective ends of the arms 37, 38, of the double bell crank lever 36, so that the rock ing of the double bell crank lever 36 will project or retract the locking bolts.

Normally, when the bolts are retracted and the safe door is open, the double bell crank lever is prevented from being rocked by the engagement with the end of the arm 38 by the notched end 43 of the bell crank lever 44 which is pivoted at 45 to the inner wall of the safe door, and which engage ment is maintained by the spring 46 mounted on the stud 47 on the door and bearing against the lever arm 44. The other arm 48 of the bell crank lever 44 is engaged by the head 49 of the pin 50, which projects loosely through a suitable opening in the bolt 41 and extends beyond the beveled side edge of the door. lVhile I have illustrated this releasing pin construction as projecting through the bolt itself, the pin could be arranged to project through the edge of the door in some other position, the object being-to provide a pin to project beyond the beveled, face of the door, which pin shall control the movement of the locking lever 44. As the door is closed, the pin 50 will be pressed inwardly and the bell crank lever will be rocked to release the notched end of the lever arm 44 from the arm 38 of the double bell crank lever 36 and the movement to the right, from the position shown in Fig. 6, of the end of the locking bar 24, will rock the double bell crank lever to project the safe bolts and to lock the door.

- The operation of the construction will be evident from the foregoing description. Let us assume that the door is open, the

bolts retracted, and that the time lock mechamsm has been set for the desired tlme for tion shown in Fig. 2, and the catch 20 will ride on top of the face of the locking plate 22, with the head 19 of the catch extending past the end of the rock lever 1b. The operator then turns the arm 29 to throw the locking plate into the position shown in Fig. 1; but inasmuch as the locking mechanism on the safe door is locked from move ment and the pin 50 is projecting beyond the edge of the beveled face of the door, the locking bar will be held in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, but under the tension of the spring 27. The moment the door is shut, however, the pin 50 is depressed, the double bell crank lever 36 is released and the tension of the spring 27 throws thelocking bar to the right, rocks the double bell crank lever and projects the safe bolts outwardly, locking the safe. The safe remains locked until the releasing bar 6 is actuated by the release of the time controlled mechanism, when the levers 9 and bar 1% are shifted. to the left from the position shown in Fig. 5, rocking the lever 16, releasing the catch 20, and the tension of the spring 32 at once throws the locking plate and locking bar to the left into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus rocking the double bell crank lever and retracting the safe bolts and unlooking the safe.

The pivot 61 of the catch 20 is above the point of engagement of the heel of the catch and the locking plate 22, so that the moment the rocking lever 16 is shifted by the time lock mechanism, the pressure of the plate 22 under the tension of the spring 32 raises the catch, thus releasing the plate 22 and allows it to move to the left as shown in Fig. a, while the catch rests upon the upper surface of the plate 22.

Inasmuch as the catch 20 is held positively by the abutting end of the rock lever 16 until the releasing bar 6 is actuated by the watch movement, the rock lever 16 is not shifted at all until the exact time is reached for the release. There is, therefore, no danger of jars releasing the movements. The spring 32 may also be con structed for very strong tension, amply sufficient under any circumstances to retract the bolts. Inasmuch as the spring 27 is mounted on the locking plate 22, the tension of this spring is not opposed to the tension of the spring 32, and the spring 32 does not have to overcome any opposing spring pressure, no matter what the tension of the spring 27 may be. The springs, therefore, will act in opposite directions on the two locking members the construction,

which. are arranged to be rocked in opposite directionsto project and retract the safe bolts. v

By reason of the fact that I have provided for the pivotal mounting of the locking members, I enabled to greatly economize the space required for the movement of the locking members whereby these locking members can be mounted in the time lock casing. l

Heretofore, for automatic locking and unlocking devices slide plates have been provided, and provision must be made for sufficient space to permit the slide plates to be actuated the necessary distance to retract and project the bolts. Heretofore, therefore, it has not been possible to mount the locking members in the same case with the time lock mechanism, except in square safes with sufficiently large space for a large mechanism, and for small safe doors there has not been sui'iicientroom to apply the locking and unlocking devices. With my construction, however, inasmuch as the look ing members are pivotally mounted, provision ismade for ample play of the locking bar outside the case, while inside the case very little movement is required. This pivotal construction of the locking members forms, therefore, a very important part of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character specified, the combination with a time lockcasing, of bolt actuating devices, a time-controlled releasing bar and a pair of spring actuated locking members, pivotally mounted in the casing, to cooperate when moved in one direction and to act separately when moved in the opposite direction, with means for connecting one member with the bolt actuating mechanism, and the other member with the releasing bar, for locking and unlocking the safe.

2. In a device of the character specified,

the combination with a safe door and locking bolts therefor, with means to prevent actuation of the bolts when retracted, of a time lock casing. a time-controlled releasing bar, a pair of locking members, pivotally mounted in the casing, to cooperate when moved in One direct-ion and to act separately when moved in the opposite direction, with means for connecting one member with the bolt actuating devices, and the other memher with the releasing bar, and springsto actuate the locking members when released,

whereby the door may be locked upon release of the bolts, and the door may be unlocked by the time actuating mechanism.

8. In a device of the character specified, in combination with a safe door and locking bolts therefor, with means for actuating the bolts, of a pair of locking members, pivotally mounted, one member engaging the bolt actuating means, a catch for locking the other member, a releasing bar under control of the watch movement to release the catch, and a spring to actuate the locking members to retract the locking bolts upon the release of the catch, a dog to lock the bolt actuating means when the bolts are retracted, and means for releasing the dog upon closing the safe door, and a spring for actuating the bolt actuating member to project the bolts when the door is closed.

l. Ina device of the character specified, the combination of a casing, a pair of locking members, pivotally mounted in the casing, means for coupling the members to gether to cooperate when moved in one direction and to act separately when moved in the opposite direction, with separate springs to actuate the members, exerting tension in opposite directions, one spring mounted on one member, the other spring bearing between the casing and said member, whereby one member may be set for actuation without aiiecting the other member.

5. In a device of the character specified, in combination with a safe door and locking bolts therefor, with means for actuating the bolts, of a pair of locking members, pivotally mounted, one member engaging the bolt actuating means, a catch for locking the other member, a releasing bar under control of the watch movement to release the catch, means for coupling the locking members together to coiiperate when moved in one direction and to act separately when moved in the opposite direction, with separate springs to actuate the two members exerting tension in opposite directions, one spring mounted on one member, the other spring bearing between the casing and said member, a dog to lock the bolt actuating means, with pin for releasing the dog projecting from the door, whereby the dog will be released upon closing the door to permit the bolts to be projected by one of the locking members.

UTTO F. MIETH. Attest:

EDWARD HUSEMAN, Enw. L. FEHRING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

